The curtain fell on the 2024 season at Loperwood Park on Saturday evening and a great evening was had by all as the club looked back on the campaign across all levels and some impressive performances in an otherwise difficult year for the club as a whole – with the 1st and 2nd XIs both awaiting news of their fates while the 3rd XI might have done enough to stay in Division 4 South for another season.
The major winners on the night were the Under 9s coach and manager Mark Gurd, who lifted the Pete Lavelle Shield (full article HERE) for his hugely passionate support of the team that went through their league campaign unbeaten, despite not being able to play regularly himself on a Saturday due to injury
On what was a breakthrough year for him, 14-year-old Oli Hibberd went home with the Most Improved Player trophy, becoming the youngest player to receive it. Oli, who started the season in the 3rd XI and made his way into becoming a regular for the 1st team in the SPCL and claimed his maiden 5-wicket haul, also the youngest Calmore Sports player to collect that milestone in the top flight.
Having won 4th XI Bowler of the Year in 2022 and 3rd XI Player of the Year last season, the stock of the third generation of Hibberd to play for the club is hugely on the rise.
The much coverted Yorkshireman Trophy, presented now in memory of ‘Yorkshire Alan’, Alan Rimmington following his sad passing in February 2023, was won for a second time by Mark Lavelle, whose 36 wickets in the season equalled his record for most wickets in a season for the club from 2018 but also winning the Division 1 league award for most wickets.
For the ninth time in the last 10 years, Ben Johns took home the 1st XI batting trophy (the only season he didn’t was 2018). His 580 league runs in just 12 innings saw him average 58.00 – his highest season average since making his debut in 2013. He hit a century and four 50+ scores and continued to dominate at the top of the order. A back injury made him miss much of the tail end of the season but his phenominal efforts with the bat continue to be the bedrock of the 1st XI batting.
Not since 2018 has Mark Lavelle picked up the 1st XI bowling award but his 36 wickets for the league season, as mentioned earlier equalling the club record and only trailing Hambledon’s Justin Behrens (37) across the whole of the Southern League, made him an automatic selection this time around. He picked up 5 four-wicket hauls, of which three he converted into a ‘Michelle’.
It was very much a tale of two halves of a season for Will Brewster, who received the 1st XI Captain’s Player of the Year. Scoring 295 runs – a record season haul for him for the club he has played at since 2021 – was a terrific effort considering his first 9 innings of the season saw him glean just 54 runs. But two unbeaten half-centuries against Rowledge and Andover lifted his record and he played in 14 of the 16 games played so more than merited the captain’s choice for his hard work and commitment.
In the 2nd XI, last season’s 4th XI batter of the year, hugely talented 14-year-old Abdul Karimi took home the 2s Batter trophy for his 248 runs (20.66 avge) while skipper Ryan Lomax was honoured to receive the 2nd XI bowler award, taking 17 wickets for the 2s and being the only player in the club to score 200+ runs and take 20+ wickets across all Saturday league cricket this term.
All-rounder James Rose, with 213 runs and 15 wickets, the second highest tally in both categories for the 2nd XI this season, received his first club trophy since receiving the same gong in 2019 – the 2nd XI Captain’s award.
With 328 runs at an average of 41.00 and a strike-rate of 110.81, 3rd XI captain Sam Dempster awarded himself the 3rd XI batter of the year medal, which, considering that only Ben Johns scored more runs than him across the club in 2024, was more than acceptable.
Slow-left-arm wrist spinner Iqrar Mohammed took 16 wickets in his 13 games for the 3s, topping the table for most scalps this season for the side, and he was a worthy receipient of the 3s bowler trophy while the inimitable and unmistakable 12-year-old Sanaullah Uria, for his immense enthusiasm as well as playing in 10 of the 14 3rd xI matches in 2024, was a popular choice as the 3s Captains Player of the Year.
In the 4th XI – the Dad’s and Lad’s Club – it was the youngsters that were honoured. Hafeez Mohammed, with 127 runs in seven innings picked up the 4s batter award while pace bowler Shane Inwood, who often bowled the difficult opening overs for the team and claimed 7 wickets through the campaign, was the proud winner of the 4s bowler 0f the year.
Having played in 7 games this season and scoring his maiden half-century in the last game against Knight’s Valley II, Said Jalali got the nod from stand-in skipper Darren Vann as his player of the year.
The final award of the night went to Matt Morgan, for the second time in three seasons, as the Border League team’s player of the year for his 10 wickets, their leading wicket taker.
The full list of awards on the night were:
‘PETER LAVELLE SHIELD’ for CLUB PERSON of the YEAR 2024: Mark Gurd
YORKSHIREMAN TROPHY: Mark Lavelle
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Oli Hibberd
SATURDAY 1st XI
Captain’s Player of the Year: Will Brewster
Batter of the Year: Ben Johns
Bowler of the Year: Mark Lavelle
SATURDAY 2nd XI
Captain’s Player of the Year: James Rose
Batter of the Year: Abdul Karimi
Bowler of the Year: Ryan Lomax
SATURDAY 3rd XI
Captain’s Player of the Year: Sanaullah Uria
Batter of the Year: Sam Dempster
Bowler of the Year: Iqrar Mohammed
SATURDAY 4th XI
Captain’s Player of the Year: Said Jalali
Batter of the Year: Hafeez Mohammed
Bowler of the Year: Shane Inwood
BORDER LEAGUE XI
Player of the Year: Matt Morgan
